Whiskey Lullaby
by Lunabell Marauder Knyte
Summary: Dear Agony series Part 3: As the gang plots to rescue Damon, Stephan and Katherine reflect on their lives and how they intertwine with Damon.How they got to his point.They also answer some of Dean's and Sam's questions,could they also have a secret ally?


**Title:** My Side of the Story

**Author: **Experiment 2637452

**Genre: **Romance/Angst

**Pairing: **Dean/Damon Klaus/Damon plus Katherine

**Rating**: M

**Summary**: Dear Agony series Part 3: As the gang plots to rescue Damon, Stefan and Katherine reflect on their lives and how they intertwine with Damon. How they got to his point. They also answer some of Dean's and Sam's questions.

Stefan didn't know how to accurately place his feelings. He was worried about Damon. He knew first hand what Klaus was capable of. What had him on edge the most was that he didn't know what Klaus was planning, if he was planning anything at all. Plus, what could he possibly want with Damon?

He sighed in frustration.

There were many reasons _why_ Klaus would want Damon.

His older brother was strong and intelligent, and most of the time had an "I don't give a fuck" attitude. All of that added to Klaus making him let go of his emotions and what ever humanity he had...Stefan can't be sure if he should worry more for his brother or the people who get in his way.

"You okay?"

Turning around he cursed mentally for being so distracted. He looked at Elena but then turned away. Since meeting her he knew she wasn't Katherine. After recent events he's very glad for it. But for some reason knowing that Katherine was involved in this mess caused him to be angry. It was all her fault! If she wasn't selfish and self centered Stefan could have had a full life with his brother back in the 1800's. He could have met a nice normal girl and gotten married. Taken over his fathers business and started a family.

Somehow he'd convince Damon to be a part of all that.

Get him to meet a nice girl too. They'd be each others best men at their weddings. Have kids around the same time. Drinking their finest whiskey and smoking their best cigars as they waited for their respected children and or nieces and nephews to be born. Enjoy family dinners and holidays...Never to be enemies because of some self centered bitch.

He sighed again. He wasn't mad at Elena. He just wanted to be reassured that everything would be okay. But Katherine was involved so that meant that someone had to sacrifice something.

"Right...stupid question," Elena whispered to herself.

"No...just wrongly phrased by good intentions," Stefan replied.

Elena walked up to him and rubbed his shoulder reassuringly.

"We'll get him back. You'll see," Elena told him.

"Yeah I know. I just don't know who's going to lose what," Stefan said solemnly.

"Shh...don't say that," Elena whispered.

"We're dealing with Klaus who kidnapped Damon, and now we're working with Katherine...someone will have to sacrifice something Elena. And..." Stefan began.

"And?" Elena coaxed.

Stefan dropped down on one of the couches in the living room, burring his face in his hands and he sighed once more.

"I feel guilty and ashamed." he whispered as he sat up and looked at Elena, mentally yelling at himself to remember that she was _not_ Katherine.

Elena gave him a confused look, "I understand if you feel worried and scared and angry...that's normal. But why would you feel like that?"

"I have no doubt I'll get Damon back. One way or another. But I also know that someone is going to have to sacrifice something and frankly...as long as I get my brother back, I don't care. Secondly...knowing Klaus has Damon, I can only image the horrors he'll make Damon do. But I don't really care for those who suffer as long as Klaus doesn't touch Damon...and that makes me a horrible person."

Elena sat next to Stefan and hugged him, he leaned into her touch.

"We'll get him back soon...I promise, before anything bad happens," Elena whispered.

They stayed like that for a few moments before Elena's phone began to buzz.

"Who is it?" Stefan asked.

"Alaric. Him, Sam, and Dean have been looking into leads they've gotten from Katherine. Alaric wants to check something out but doesn't think Dean should go. He's angst-y and on edge. If they have to face anyone on the road they rather Dean not be there...not in his condition," Elena whispered.

Stefan nodded.

There was definitely some anger towards the hunter but Stefan couldn't really blame him. Yes the hunter had hurt his brother, but given the circumstances Stefan understood. Damon was a vampire...a monster. Something that Dean was brought up hating like the people in Mystic Falls. But Dean was raised fighting other monsters and different evils with the only person who he could ever really trust was his brother, and knows more than anyone else what it means to have family trouble. Dean's choice to try to forget Damon and marry Lisa is something Stefan fears will happen with him and Elena.

Dean has always been fighting for humanity.

He will live and die human.

Meaning he _wouldn't_ turn...he'd eventually grow old and die. Leaving Damon behind, since his brother was untouched by time and death. From recent events he's seen just how much the hunter cared for his brother, and how much leaving Damon had hurt him. Dean was just trying to slowly remove himself from Damon knowing that ultimately they'd have to part.

If anyone else was taking Damon's capture worse than him it was the hunter.

"Tell Alaric to send Dean my way. I'll keep him occupied while they investigate," Stefan said.

Elena smiled and kissed her boyfriend and then texted Alaric back.

Elena headed out soon, out to meet with Caroline and Matt. The three of them were Bonnie's personal crew. They were going try more locator spells, look through more books, and just brain storm on anything that will help them.

Shortly after her departure a black Chevy Impala pulled up in front of the Boarding House.

With a knock on the door Stefan let the hunter in.

"So...you're my babysitter for the next few hours?" Dean deadpanned.

Stefan shrugged, "Basically."

Dean sighed as he slouched onto the couch. "Anything new on your front?"

Stefan shook his head, "Nothing really."

Dean nodded and leaned back into the couch. Silence engulfed the room.

"How are you holding up?" Stefan decided to ask.

Dean sighed and ran an hand through his hair. "I'm hanging on I suppose...but that fucking bitch Katherine is a total asshole. I can't believe Damon ever had a thing for her."

"With all that's happened I can't believe we liked her myself," Stefan agreed.

There were a few more moments of silence.

"How did it all happen?" Dean suddenly asked.

"What do you mean?" Stefan asked.

"His downfall. Since I met him...before we became friends...I could see it. I guess it takes one to know one but I saw it clear as day. And I was drunk when I first met him too...I think he was drunk too so maybe he wasn't as closed off but still. He was fake smiling and trying to pass off whatever was pissing him off as if it were nothing...but that kind of loathing and depression...that's got to be from long before...and I can't help but wonder...it keeps me up sometimes...how did his misery began?"

"It was all Katherine's fault...she broke my brother. And I hate her for it every day," Stefan replied. Somewhat surprise how easy it was to talk with the hunter about his feelings towards the vamp.

"Well I'm not going anywhere any time soon...mind enlightening me about Damon some?" Dean asked.

"Sure...but lets get some whiskey. Doing anything sober these days is seriously difficult," Stefan said as he stood and headed to their bar.

"Here here," Dean agreed and followed the vampire.

After three shots of their finest whiskey they sat back on the couches, bottle on the tables, glasses refilled.

"So...how did that bitch mess things up?" Dean asked.

"She was selfish and manipulating. But when I first met Katherine I really actually _was_ seventeen. I was seriously young and naïve...she played with Damon first, and then she started messing with me. None of us really had a claim on her so it was basically brothers trying to out do each other for the girl. For some reason she liked me more. I never knew why, maybe because I resisted her more. Damon was fully prepared to give himself to her. That bored her I suppose. She used him to get close to me.

"I saw it as a victory then. Now...I wish I'd put a stop to it. If you think Damon has a drinking problem now, he was completely off the bender back then, and back then the liquor was something else. Had he not been turned I'm almost positive he would have died a year or so later from alcohol poisoning...

"The thing was...I wasn't sure if he really _was_ in love with her or if it was just to prove himself to the idea of what she represented for him."

"What do you mean?" Dean asked, completely sober despite the liquor in his system.

"Our dad and him had...a complicated relationship. To the point where they hated each other. Father wanted Damon to continue his studies and then take over the family business so he could retire knowing his legacy would continue. But Damon didn't like the family business. It bored him. So he refused and left to travel and do whatever it was that he did. It pissed our dad severely. I became his favorite...his little soldier boy I guess. Always following orders...another reason why Damon hated me. But I was basically his only family he had left when father disowned him. He was desperate to impress someone...and when Katherine showed up being impressed with what Damon was willing to do...he ate it up.

"Katherine made it pretty obvious that given the two choices she was going to choose me. And for a time I thought that she would just turn me, and leave Damon alone. He saw that too and he started to do more reckless things and drink far more...since then I think he was ready to die," Stefan said.

"...That's because he realized that once she chose you...you were leaving him behind too. If you were his last bit of family and you were gone, then hell yeah death was his next step." Dean replied.

"Hm...maybe. All I know was that the nightmare really began when Katherine gave us her blood and our father killed us. Maybe I shouldn't blame Katherine..." Stefan mused.

"Of course you can. It's her fault!" Dean exclaimed.

"Yes...but he wasn't ready to become a vampire. I was the one who convinced him. I brought him a girl to feed his hunger and complete the transformation...He was willing to ignore the hunger and die with whatever human dignity he had left. But I didn't want to be alone. I didn't want to be without my older brother...

"I've never told anyone this. I mean some know that I was the one who killed our father in order to complete my transformation, but I actually did it because of what he did to Damon. For revenge."

Dean nodded in understanding and then took a swing of his drink.

He was tired since he hasn't been able to sleep well and the whiskey was lulling him to sleep. He shook his head and whispered, "I miss him."

"I know..." Stefan replied.

_She put him out, like the burnin' end of a midnight cigarette__  
__She broke his heart, he spent his whole life tryin' to forget__  
__We watched him drink his pain away a little at a time__  
__But he never could get drunk enough to get her off his mind__  
__Until' the night_

Alaric and Sam stopped at a gas station to full up. They left a few hours ago and were chasing a lead. They had so very few that they didn't want to take any chances of them getting away. Which is why they left the minute they could even if the lead came from Katherine.

"You think this lead will be any good?" Sam asked Alaric from the passenger seat. Since Dean took the Impala, the hunters had to take Alaric's car.

"It came from Katherine so it's hard to tell," Alaric replied.

"You think she's sending us off on purpose?" Sam asked.

He'd wanted to ask many questions about the vampire look-a-like of Elena, but she seemed to be a taboo. From what he _has_ gathered he could tell that she was bad news. But he wouldn't think Stefan would agree to let her help finding Damon if she wasn't going to produce something useful.

Alaric sighed as they pulled off from the gas station and drove off. They were close to the town where their lead supposedly was. Right now they were heading for the first hotel they saw.

"No...I just don't like that she's involved at all," Alaric answered.

Sam's curiosity won out and he reasoned with himself that asking Alaric wouldn't be as awkward or as imposing as asking anyone else back in Mystic Falls. "What...why..._what_ exactly don't you like about this?"

There was a moment of silence in which Alaric seemed to not have heard what Sam asked. Being around enough people who were unemotional Sam was about to switch topics when Alaric spoke.

"I think Dean is right for Damon, Sam."

"Uh...okay?" Sam replied confused.

"Before you guys came to Mystic Falls...before _I_ came to Mystic Falls, Damon and Stefan were fighting over Elena. Because she looked like Katherine...she proved to be better then Katherine but her looks were what started it. And like Katherine did, Elena chose Stefan. That caused a lot of problems which were caused by Damon.

"He has this big tough guy act but really...all he wants is to find someone. Katherine was a bust, Elena wasn't ever his...well there were a few moments where there was a possibility but really, there was none. As more things and information began to unravel the more Damon hated Katherine. The thing is...she's a manipulating bitch," Alaric's choice of words caused Sam to raise his eye brows in surprise. Alaric was a teacher and always acted properly, being a high school teacher especially his language. Hearing him curse was surprising and let Sam be aware of the vampire hunter's dislike for Katherine.

"She only did things that would benefit her in the short _and_ long run. But still she did whatever she wanted and she wanted Stefan _and_ Damon. She claims to love them both...even now. We never worried about Stefan because he had Elena but with Damon...we worried about the trouble he'd get into if he'd get involved with her. Time passed though and it seemed we _didn't_ have to worry about that.

"Then Dean came into his life and there was a change. It was...surprising. It was good. We were waiting for something to happen you know? A giant fire, a horrible earthquake. Something to prove that Damon had messed up and was just living up his final moments...but nothing came. Just his happiness with your brother," As Alaric finished his sentence they pulled up to a motel.

"What do you think she's up to?" Sam asked.

Alaric sighed as he turned off his car, "I don't know. But we're going to do everything we can to stop it. Everyone liked the way life was going before...you know. We all started having a sense of normality. I mean as normal as a bunch of supernatural hunters, vampires, witches, doppelgangers, and high school kids can get...but still normal. We just want it back."

"And with Katherine that's never a possibility?" Sam asked and Alaric shook his head.

"Damn..."

"What?" Sam asked.

"Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear," Alaric murmured as he got out.

Sam followed suit and noticed Katherine leaning against the building, arms crossed over her chest looking impatient.

"About time you showed up. I got us a room already. Now if you're done dragging we have people to interrogate," Katherine ordered as she walked towards another car in the lot and opened the drivers door. "Well...come on! We're burning day light."

"People?" Sam asked.

"Yes...there might be someone else here that can help us. But with Klaus we need to hurry before they get killed or disappear or something," Katherine said.

"Then why don't we split up? Alaric can go check out someone and we'll go check out another," Sam offered.

"I don't think that's a good idea Sam," Alaric said.

"Don't worry about me. I know how take care of myself. She's right. We don't have time to lose. And this way I'll keep an eye on her," Sam replied.

"Fine! Let the Sasquatch babysit me. We'll talk with the vampire and you can go for the witch...now come on," Katherine said as she got into the car.

"I really don't think you should go alone with her Sam," Alaric warned.

"Time isn't on our side. We'll have to risk it. I'll be fine. I've done more dangerous things before," Sam tried to reassure Alaric but it wasn't working. Katherine honked impatiently.

"Sam...she's trouble. You can't trust her," Alaric warned.

"I don't. I have my cell on. Call me when you find your lead," Sam said and got into the passenger side of Katherine's car.

As they drove off Sam didn't feel the tension he thought was going to be there. In fact it was the opposite. Katherine seemed relaxed that Alaric wasn't joining them. Feeling bold, Sam decided to ask about it.

"Is it that he's a specific hunter and you're what he hunts that makes you uneasy with him or something more?"

Katherine didn't look away from the road but she wasn't ignoring him either. Her brow was furrowed so Sam guessed she was choosing the best way to describe it.

"It's complicated," she finally said.

"Pft...what isn't? Why do I get the feeling that there's far more that people haven't told me and Dean?" Sam asked.

"Because there is. Don't think yourselves so high and mighty that you get all possible information." Katherine growled.

Having grown up dealing with his brother and father Sam knew when to continue and when to let things slide. Since he wanted information and _not_ an argument Sam decided to wait a while before asking her again.

When they arrived at an apartment building they made their way upstairs only for Katherine to freeze mid flight of stairs and then zoom up the rest. From where he was Sam heard a door being forced open and then Katherine's "NO!"

Taking the rest of the stairs three at a time Sam found the apartment building he assumed belonged to their lead and saw why Katherine was distressed.

A vampire's corpse was lying on the ground. Stake through the heart and left directly in front of a window that didn't have any shades. The corpse, aside from being shriveled up, was also scorched.

Sam's phone began to ring and he saw that it was Alaric, "Hey Ric..."

"_You don't sound too happy,_" Alaric replied.

"Well our lead on this side is shriveled up and scorched so...not something to be happy about, for either me or our lead. How about you? Any luck?"

"_The place was completely destroyed. But no body so that's a good sign. Witches have more luck avoiding and getting away from Klaus than vampires despite generic belief. Their magic's number one job is to keep them safe. The older the better. I see authentic books here from the 50's. My guess this is a powerful witch that beat us and Klaus and went on the run..._"

"Well...at least she's not dead. That's something but not a lot. Thanks anyway Ric. Head back to the hotel and I'll meet you there in a few," Sam said.

"_Alright but first I'm going to look around. See if there's something useful we can use. A clue or something,_" Alaric said.

"Good idea. I'll do the same. I'll meet you there once I'm done. There's not much here. But be careful and stay safe," Sam warned.

"_You too,_" and Alaric hung up.

"Come on. We need to see what's left and then meet up with Alaric," Sam said and looked towards Katherine to see her slouched in a chair.

"Um...Katherine?"

"He always wins...always," she murmurs.

It didn't take a genius to know who she was talking about, "Not this time. This isn't over, just a minor setback."

"Don't you get it!? We'll never beat him! He's over a thousand years old. He's not just a player in a game! He _INVENTED_ the game! Damon's...not coming back to me. Even if we do save him...he'll never pick me again. Not with that stupid hunter alive." Katherine whispered solemnly to herself.

"Katherine..."

"Relax," Katherine gave an exasperated sigh, "I'm not going to give up...I owe it to him. And besides...if I save him then maybe...just maybe he'll look at me like he used to again."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"He loved me _so_ much. What he was willing to do...all just for me. He loved me far more than anyone else... He went crazy when he realized I wasn't in that tomb...

"It was almost fitting you know? I was supposedly there and he was shot and killed and then buried next to the tomb. So many years passed and his ideal girl had always been me. Even though he met many others along the way...I can't believe it was a stupid male hunter who got him to drink away my memory completely from his mind." Katherine said with a half glare at Sam.

_He put that bottle to his head and pulled the trigger__  
__And finally drank away her memory__  
__Life is short but this time it was bigger__  
__Than the strength he had to get up off his knees__  
__We found him with his face down in the pillow__  
__With a note that said, "I'll love her till I die"__  
__And when we buried him beneath the willow__  
__The Angels sang a whiskey lullaby_

The duo finally made it to where Alaric was. Inside there was a complete mess.

"Did they just ransack the place or was there a struggle?" Sam asked.

"I don't smell any blood," Katherine said. She was still in a fowl mood. Alaric noticed but didn't comment on it.

"From what I could tell just ransack. There weren't any clothes in the closet or drawers. No personal items and from what I gathered from Bonnie nothing that can't be replaced has been left behind. _But_ I do think they just barely missed their target," Alaric said.

"What makes you say that?" Katherine asked.

"Like I told Sam over the phone, there were some books here that were from the 50's. I read some of the titles to Bonnie and she said that unless it was really life threatening she wouldn't leave those books behind. Not only are they one of a kind and authentic, they're rare." Alaric said.

"Cool. That means that our lead will still be here in town. Or at least close," Sam said.

"Not if Klaus is after them," Katherine said.

"What crawled up your ass and died?" Alaric sneered.

"Oh bite me!" Katherine snapped.

"I'm not that much of a fan of irony," Alaric retorted.

"Oh nice come back!" Katherine said as she crossed her arms and glared.

"Enough! Ric...just how rare are these books?" Sam asked.

"Enough to risk coming back for," Alaric replied but only looking in Sam's direction.

"A witches most powerful object is a talisman. Not books," Katherine said.

"Yes but these books hold a lot of valuable information," Alaric said.

"Look...Katherine if you want, you can leave," Sam said.

"What are you two going to do?" Katherine asked.

"We'll stay the night. If no one comes by we'll take the books with us. If they really are as important then they'll come after them. Things like these usually have a magical trace that the owner can track. They'll find us if we take them," Sam explained.

_La la la la la la la, la la la la la la laa__  
__La la la la la la la, la la la la la la laa_

Katherine decided to stay and camp out with Alaric and Sam at the witches hideout. Sam and Alaric decided to take turns sleeping, not trusting Katherine. While it was Alaric's turn to sleep Sam decided to make some coffee to help him stay awake.

"Your brother had the right mind set but the wrong method of acting on it," Katherine joined him in the kitchen.

"That meaning?" Sam asked as he poured a generous amount of coffee and sugar into a mug.

Shrugging her shoulders Katherine replied, "Getting married to Linda-"

"Lisa," Sam corrected.

"Whatever. Anyway...he did it because he finally let it sink in as to what Damon being a vampire really meant, he knew he had a choice to make. Either become a vampire like Damon but of course that was barking up the wrong tree from the get-go. Then there was the option of getting used to life without Damon, which was what he chose. But what he should have done was the third choice," Katherine said.

"And that'd be?" Sam inquired.

"Live out his life _with_ Damon. So what if he got old? They'd be together...if it ever got too much then Dean could ask Damon to end it for him...and you know with all the supernatural things you come in contact with I'm sure you could find something to make you immortal _without_ becoming a vampire," Katherine reasoned.

"Yeah I'm sure we could but that's not the point. Being human is being a subject of time. Of growing old and dying...not being able to makes you something not human...And it's not something Dean would be okay with. Plus that plan of yours has a flaw obvious to those of us who aren't psychopaths," Sam said.

"And that'd be?" Katherine asked, eyes narrowed in a glare as she leaned again the counter with her arms crossed.

"You can't just sit there and watch someone you love die. If Dean had chosen to stay and live out his life with Damon that's what would have happened. Damon wouldn't have been able to do that and Dean wouldn't put Damon through that," Sam told her knowing it was the truth.

"You're right. And frankly I think it's obvious that if they really did love each other as much as we all know they do then Dean would cave in and become one of us, or Damon would take matters into his own hands, feed Dean his blood, and either kill him or have someone else do it," Katherine said in an easy 'weather discussion' tone.

"That would be killing Dean because he wouldn't finish the transformation," Sam declared.

Katherine smirked, "Are you sure? Is your big brothers love for you more than his love for Damon?

"_And_...are you being selfish? What if Dean _actually_ wants to be a vamp to be with Damon but didn't because of _you_? Think about it...I'm going to go get a bite."

And she was gone.

Sam sat there in the kitchen, coffee forgotten and now cold. He was thinking about what she said. He knew he shouldn't mull over it but he couldn't help but think...and think...and think...

And realize how much it makes sense.

"Stop."

Sam turns around to face a sleepy Alaric walking into the kitchen and making his way for the coffee machine.

"Stop what?" Sam asked.

"Thinking so loud. I could hear you from the other room," Alaric yawned and he poured himself a cup.

"Sorry," Sam whispered.

After taking a sip, Alaric placed the cup down and looked Sam right in the eye, "I already told you Sam, you can't trust her. She's a manipulating bitch who says anything to get her way."

"But..."

"No buts. Think about it Sam..._really_ think about it. I heard the whole thing. You'll feel guilty and convince Dean that if he really cares for Damon that you shouldn't be the reason to stop him. That will make Dean feel guilty in return and put you first and do something else to push Damon away and now Katherine's path is free of one less obstacle and us searching for a way to rescue Damon from Klaus has no point." Alaric explained.

"I just don't see why she did it," Sam confessed.

"I already told you. She's a selfish bitch...she's still in love with Stefan and Damon. Stefan's not being swayed into leaving Elena for Katherine any time soon so her best shot is Damon but that's not going to happen. Even if I have to claim him for myself. She's never going to hurt him again," Alaric declared.

"That's just it Ric...I think she honestly does care for him. In a...weird, contorted kind of way, but still." Sam said.

"Sam don't think about it. Don't let her get into your mind either. Once she does you've lost the battle. Just remember our objective. We have to save Damon for Stefan and Dean. Damon, Stefan, Dean...those are the guys we need to worry about, okay?"

"Right...Damon, Stefan, Dean." Sam repeated.

"Good. Now get your stuff we're heading back to Mystic Falls. You can sleep on the way there. Hopefully whoever these belong to follow us," Alaric said and Sam nodded.

Within minutes they were on their way home.

___The rumors flew but nobody knew how much she blamed herself__  
__For years and years, she tried to hide the whiskey on her breath__  
__She finally drank her pain away a little at a time__  
__But she never could get drunk enough to get him off her mind__  
__Until' the night__  
_

Dean's phone began to vibrate but he was fast asleep. Stefan knew from the hunter's profile that he hadn't been getting much of that so he used his vampire speed and grabbed his phone and went to the kitchen.

"Hello?" Stefan answered.

"_Stefan? Where's Dean?" _Alaric asked.

"He's asleep. Thought I'd let him get as much as possible," Stefan replied.

"_Good idea. Hey listen we're heading home," _Alaric said.

"Find anything?" Stefan asked, hope lingering in his question.

Alaric sighed, _"Not really but there is something...something small._"

"What?" Stefan demanded.

"_Well first the vampire lead was found dead, staked and burned for good measure. But the witch managed to get away. She was in a hurry and left behind some books Bonnie is pretty sure are worth __going back for. Sam said that these things are able to be traced and Bonnie confirmed it. We waited __awhile but we're heading home with the books in tow. Hopefully they'll come to us,"_ Alaric explained.

Stefan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "I guess that's something."

"_How are things on your end?"_ Alaric asked.

"Pretty much the same. Dean's tired. Elena, Caroline, and Matt are helping Bonnie look for something useful in her Grimoires but I haven't heard from them," Stefan answered.

"_Alright. We should meet back up at the Boarding House once we get back. Should be in half a day or so," _Alaric said.

"Alright. Be careful...did Katherine go with you guys? I haven't seen her around," Stefan said, suspicion replacing the worry in his voice.

"_Yeah she was with us. We left her behind while she was out hunting. I don't know what she's planning but she's up to something. Worst of all she's starting to play mental games with Sam. And she's using Dean's happiness as her weapon," _Alaric said.

"Damn," Stefan gave an exasperated sigh, "We'll have to keep a closer eye on her. I don't trust her and it was pretty obvious she'd use them as her weapons of choice. Out of all of us they're the least informed on how much of a nuisance she is."

"_Right. I'll call back when we get to Mystic Falls,"_ Alaric hung up.

Stefan pocketed Dean's phone just at the same time his started to vibrate. He looked at the number but didn't recognize it. Frowning in confusion for a second Stefan answered his phone.

"Hello?"

"_Hey there sexy_."

"Rebecca..." Stefan growled.

"_Miss me?"_ Rebecca taunted.

"Where's Damon?" Stefan hissed.

"_I'm fine thank you for asking. I just got a new dress and matching shoes. I'm thinking of getting a purse and belt to go with it but I haven't found anything pretty enough,"_ Rebecca ranted.

"Cut the crap and tell me where my brother is," Stefan demanded.

"_Touche...did _my_ big brother Nick strike some soar nerves Stefan?" _Rebecca asked teasingly.

"_Where_ is he?" Stefan demanded.

"_With Nick of course. You should see him. Nick hasn't been this happy in such a long time. It's almost __sickening to be honest...watching them. Tsk,"_ Rebecca chided.

"What's Klaus doing to Damon?" Stefan growled.

"_Oh...nothing his little brother wishes to know I assure you,"_ Rebecca replied.

"Rebecca!"

"_Trust me Stefan...you _honestly_ don't want to know what they do behind closed doors. You'll be traumatized otherwise," _Rebecca growled out herself.

"If Klaus touches Damon while under compulsion and does anything to taint him I will personally tear out his spine and rip out his heart!" Stefan threatened.

"_Oh...I love it when you get like this. It does things to me Stefan...tell you what...In two days time I'll send you a post card. If you still have that fire burning in your belly when you get it...come find us,"_ Rebecca said.

"Why are you doing this?" Stefan had to asked.

Stefan could practically see the shrug, "_Why does anyone do anything Stefan? I _know_ I'll see you soon. Ciao."_

His phone returned to it's normal wall paper after Rebecca hung up. Using all of his self control Stefan pocketed his phone, least he destroy it in anger. They had a way to contact him, he didn't really think they'd do that, but looks like there _are_ miracles.

"Who was that?"

Stefan turned around and saw Dean standing there looking intently at his phone.

"Sam and Alaric are on their way back," Stefan began. "We need to gather everyone."

"Why, what happened?" Dean asked.

"Well...nothing really. The vampire lead they had was found staked and torched. But there was a second lead. A witch. She manage to escape Klaus's goons but just barely. From what Alaric found she left some books worth going back for. They're bringing them back with them and they'll be here in half a day or so," Stefan explained.

"Good...but that wasn't either Sammy or Alaric just now. Who was it?" Dean asked.

"...Rebecca," Stefan answered.

Dean's eyes widened and his nostrils flared.

"That bitch called?" Dean hissed out.

"Yeah..."

"And?"

"If she's not lying, in two days we'll be getting a post card," Stefan decided to keep the part of Damon and Klaus behind closed doors to himself.

"First Katherine and now Rebecca...why?" Dean asked in general, not just to Stefan.

"With Katherine it's because she wants some type of control back. She's been running for more than five hundred years...having leverage and a "get out jail free"card are always in her best interest. Also I think losing Damon to you came as a pretty hard blow to her ego. Other than that I'm not so sure but I still don't like it. Rebecca on the other hand...she has irrational abandonment issues and pathological fears of being left behind. With Damon in Klaus's hands Klaus may not need her anymore and may be thinking of leaving her behind," Stefan didn't want to look too much into _why_ Klaus would want to be alone with his brother, "Calling us back into the game guarantees her being chased or at the very least surrounded by someone who will be interested in what she has to say."

___She put that bottle to her head and pulled the trigger__  
__And finally drank away his memory__  
__Life is short but this time it was bigger__  
__Than the strength she had to get up off her knees__  
__We found her with her face down in the pillow__  
__Clinging to his picture for dear life__  
__We laid her next to him beneath the willow__  
__While the Angels sang a whiskey lullaby_

Katherine wasn't surprised when she returned and found them gone.

The leads she had given them were right. She wanted to find Damon as much as anyone else. Now that Klaus seemed to have every thing he wanted she could actually begin to live her immortal life and not just survive it.

That more than anything brought a feeling of being kicked in the gut than anything else. She's spent over half a millennium running. Everything was always about her...her safety, her sanity, her freedom. In all that time she used people to get what she wanted. She kept those most useful close to her but never too close.

And now that she could enjoy immortality she was alone.

Something else came into mind as well.

She was used to running. She was used to out smarting her opponents. She was used to life on the edge. She wouldn't just settle down into normality. Too boring. No, that life has never been for her. Even in her mortal life she lived for danger and adventure.

Since being turned her life was like a giant metaphorical lake. Her mortal life being a boat in the middle of said lake. Being chased by Klaus made her jump off and try to swim towards shore where it was safe. And just barely did she make it...but there was nothing on that beach. As she looked towards the middle of the lake, back to her boat she could see another boat. A much bigger one.

Klaus was on there and with him was Damon.

Her Damon.

It was stupid. It was reckless...it was worth it.

Metaphorically holding her unneeded breath, Katherine jumped back into the water and swam towards danger one more time.

She knew she was tempting an already infuriated Fate, but that was who she was wasn't it? This was what she did.

She'd have what she wanted and what that was, was Damon Salvatore.

No original, hunter, or human teenager where going to keep her from him.

__

_La la la la la la la, la la la la la la laa__  
__La la la la la la la, la la la la la la laa_

Klaus walked out of his room with a grin of a cat who got its cream.

Rebecca was walking down the hall of the mansion that Klaus had gotten them in Italy and slightly glared at her brother.

"You're getting careless Nick," Rebecca warned.

"What on earth are you talking about Rebecca?" Klaus asked in a dismissive manner. He was in such good spirits, nothing, not even the most stupidest mistakes his servants have made can bring a fowl mood to him. He was simply euphoric.

"How can you be sure you can trust him? He _is_ Damon Salvatore...he was practically the only one you could have considered an enemy. What if he's just waiting for a perfect time to run a stake through your heart?"

Before she could reopen her eyes from a mere blink, Klaus had her up against the wall. His eyes were narrowed and his face was one of pure anger.

"Do _not_..._**ever**_...accuse him of anything!" Klaus roared.

"Where _is_ he?" Rebecca challenged.

"Asleep peacefully in my bed. Where he _belongs_," Klaus placed Rebecca down on the floor and glared at her, "You're my sister and I love you. But dear sister, consider this a warning. You're walking on _very_ thin ice and I'd hate to see you drown but I _will_ let it happen if you mess this up for me. I'm happy with Damon...think about your place before you do _anything_! Understand?"

"Completely..." Rebecca whispered and Klaus stalked back into his room and slammed the door shut behind him.

Rebecca glared at the door before she walked off to her own room and got a pen and paper. She scribbled a simple note before going outside and into her car. She stopped at the closest postal service office and put the manager themselves under her compulsion and had them sent her note as soon as possible.

Feeling pleased with herself Rebecca smirked as she walked towards a bar for a drink and perhaps a meal.

___La la la la la la la, la la la la la la laa__  
__La la la la la la la, la la la la la la laa__  
_


End file.
